Kaiser Health News

WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. To understand the circumstances surrounding silicosis deaths among young persons, CDC analyzed the underlying and contributing causes† of death using multiple cause-of-death data (1999-2015) and industry and occupation information abstracted from death certificates (1999-2013).

The mean age of these 38 decedents was 38.6 years; most were males (95{d4bb9b603273d3db628ee003d8be004fd367b218b0401eceee80736bd71245b4}), white (82{d4bb9b603273d3db628ee003d8be004fd367b218b0401eceee80736bd71245b4}), non-Hispanic (74{d4bb9b603273d3db628ee003d8be004fd367b218b0401eceee80736bd71245b4}), and born in the United States (71{d4bb9b603273d3db628ee003d8be004fd367b218b0401eceee80736bd71245b4}) (Table 1). None of these 38 deaths involved multiple drug use or drug overdose; three (8{d4bb9b603273d3db628ee003d8be004fd367b218b0401eceee80736bd71245b4}) had received subcutaneous silicone injections.

Decedents with pneumoconiosis due to other dust containing silica had manufacturing or construction industry frequently listed as the occupation on their death certificates; both industries are well known to be associated with exposures to silica-containing dust.

Truth Initiative’s website also refers to a series of industry initiatives, including sending free cigarettes overseas to troops as late as the 1990s (the U.S. Department of Defense no longer allows this); sending troops Marlboro racing-team caps and playing cards, among other things; and leading a Christmas-card campaign that features cards that resembled Marlboro ads.

At the Lexington meeting, Larry C. Taylor, an environmental scientist for the state Department for Environmental Protection, told the panel that a state study found there was no correlation between two metals, arsenic and chromium, in drinking water and cancer incidence and deaths in Eastern Kentucky.